Ronda Rousey: From judo Olympic medalist to UFC champion

As rain fell outside Staples Center on Saturday night, the most dominant reign in the UFC continued inside. Women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made UFC history by submitting No. 1 contender Cat Zingano in just 14 seconds in the main event in front of 17,654 people at UFC 184.

It was a 16-second lesson on who is the best women's fighter, followed by a 25-minute marathon to show that the middleweight champion is who everyone thought he was.At UFC 175 on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Events Center, Ronda Rousey proved yet again she is the baddest female on the planet and the biggest star in the UFC after taking to Alexis Davis like a hot knife through butter.

Ronda Rousey needed nine shots to make it a perfect 10.The UFC women's bantamweight champion delivered nine consecutive right hands to a downed Alexis Davis to retain her title in just 16 seconds and improve to 10-0 in the co-main event at UFC 175 on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Whether it's tactical pre-fight spin or the power of positive thinking, almost every fighter will say they have had an incredible training camp.And in some cases, like that of UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, it's actually the truth.

For what seemed like an eternity, it was nothing but judo.The by-product was the elite status to which Ronda Rousey ascended in the sport. In order to become the first American judoka to ever win a medal in the Olympics when she was 21 in 2008, she had to make judo her life.

LAS VEGAS — It was easier than expected but not without controversy. After a furious flurry between women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Sara McMann in the main event at UFC 170, Rousey delivered a lethal knee to the body that dropped McMann and caused the fight to be stopped at 1:06 of the first round Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center. As referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight, McMann appeared to be rising to her feet. Fans booed lustily upon seeing the replay.

It is a dance with violent intentions. One participant sports custom-made Everlast gloves, a powerful flurry of green and silver. Her partner dons lime-green mitts on each of his hands. It is a collaborative effort, each seemingly knowing the other's moves before they are carried out. As Edmond Tarverdyan slides and moves inside the cage of his Glendale Fighting Club, Ronda Rousey peppers the mitts and feigns unleashing a crushing shot to the body.

Ronda Rousey wants to make one point clear. She is a fighter, not an actress. Rousey will be defending her UFC women's bantamweight championship against Sara McMann on Feb. 22 at UFC 170 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, but it's hard not to make note of her second career in front of the camera. It's easy for Rousey, however, to shoot down talks of any pending retirement in search of the higher dollar.

When news broke last week that UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey would star in two movies after her title defense at UFC 170, it was a major moment for the MMA superstar. It wasn't, however, how Rousey might have planned for it to come out. Welcome to Hollywood. In a recent interview, Rousey was coy about any plans after UFC 170, where she will be in the main event against Sara McMann on Feb. 22 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey was heavily favored going into her UFC 168 fight against Miesha Tate. And she delivered a dominant performance in defending her bantamweight championship against her heated rival last weekend. But in early December, it didn't appear so simple for Rousey. Struggling with illness, her weight and an infection on her right hand, Rousey knew she had to do something different.

There they sat, three Olympians side by side Wednesday in Los Angeles talking about the big event next month. Only this trio wasn't talking about Sochi. Instead, Ronda Rousey, Sara McMann and Daniel Cormier spent nearly an hour at a press conference at Fleming's Steakhouse at L.A. Live discussing their upcoming fights Feb. 22 at UFC 170 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — Well, that was quick. Less than two hours after Ronda Rousey had defended her UFC women's bantamweight title at UFC 168 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, UFC President Dana White announced Rousey's next fight would be against Sara McMann (7-0) on Feb. 22 at UFC 170 in Las Vegas. The fight was announced at Saturday's post-fight press conference. With No. 1 contender Cat Zingano still mending a knee injury, the Olympic judo bronze medalist will make her third title defense against a former Olympic wrestler.

LAS VEGAS —­ Leave it to the UFC to hold its last and biggest card of 2013 and wind up with two shocking finishes. In the main event at UFC 168, Anderson Silva's leg snapped when attempting a low leg kick on middleweight champion Chris Weidman, giving Weidman a TKO victory via injury at 1:16 of the second round Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And in the co-main event, women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was pushed past the first round for the first time in her career before she finally got a game Miesha Tate to tap out to her vaunted armbar in the third round.